The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XV.

[verse 1] Forsothe as Nycanor foond that Judas was in the place of Samarie, he thouȝte for to ioyne batel in the dai of sabat with al fersnesse. [verse 2] Forsothe whanne Jewis, that sueden hym bi nede, seiden, Do thou not so [the E.] fersli and [and the E.] hethenli, but ȝyue thou onour to the dai of halewyng, and worschipe thou hym, that biholdith alle thingis. [verse 3] And he vnblesside, axide, If ther is a myȝti in heuene, that comaundide the dai of sabatis for to be don? [verse 4] And whanne thei answeriden, Ther is a quyk Lord, and he is myȝti in heuene, that comaundide the seuenthe dai for to be don. [verse 5] And he seide, And [Om. EHPY.] Y am myȝti on erthe, which comaunde [comaundede EHIP pr. m. SY.] armeris for to be takun, and nedis of the kyng for to be fillid [fulfillid Re.] . Ne|theles he gat not, for to perfourme coun|sel [bi councel E.] . [verse 6] And sotheli Nycanor was enhaunsid with souereyn [maistirful EPY.] pride, and thouȝte for to ordeyne a comyn victorie of Judas. [verse 7] For|sothe Judas [Om. EFGHIKMNPQRSUXYe.] Machabeus tristide euere more with al hope, that help [helthe F.] schulde come [verse 8] to hym of the Lord, and he monestide hise, that thei schulden not inwardli drede at [of R.] the comyng to of naciouns, but schul|den haue in mynde the helpis don to hem of heuene, and now schulden hope that the victorie schulde come to hem of Al|miȝti [the Almyȝti R.] . [verse 9] And he spak to hem of the lawe, and profetis, and monestide, `ether warn|yde [or warnede EPY. Om. R.] , of batels which thei diden bifore, and [Om. R.] ordeynede hem rediere. [verse 10] And so whanne the soulis of hem weren reisid, he schewide to gidere the falsnesse of he|thene men, and brekyng of othis. [verse 11] For|sothe he armede ech of hem, not bi strengthing of scheld and schaft, but with beste wordis and monestyngis, and ex|pownede a sweuene worthi of bileue, bi which he gladide alle. [verse 12] Sotheli the visioun was sich. Judas siȝ Onyas, that was

hiȝeste prest, a good man and benygne, schamefast in siȝt, and mylde in maneres, and fair in speche, and which was exer|cisid [excercisid, or [ether plures] hauntid E et ceteri præter R.] in vertues fro a child, holdynge forth the hondis for to preie for al the puple of Jewis. [verse 13] After this thing that also anothir man apperide, wondurful in age and glo|rie, and in hauynge of greet fairnesse aboute hym. [verse 14] Forsothe he siȝ Onyas an|swerynge for to haue seid, This is the louyere of britheren, and of the puple of Israel; this is he, that myche preieth for the puple, and al the hooli citee, Jeremye, `the profet of God. [verse 15] Forsothe he siȝ that [Om. R.] Jeremye [Om. EY.] hath [hauyng R.] streȝt forth the riȝthond, and hath ȝouun a goldun swerd to Judas, [verse 16] and seide, Take thou the hooli swerd, a ȝift of God, in which thou schalt caste doun the aduersaries of my puple Israel. [verse 17] Therfor thei weren monestid with ful good wordis of Judas, of whiche fersnesse miȝte be enhaunsid, and soules of ȝonge men be coumfortid, and thei ordeyneden for to fiȝte, and turmente togidere strongli, that vertu schulde deme of nedis, `ether causis [or causis EPYe. Om. R.] , for that the hooli citee and tem|ple weren in perel. [verse 18] For whi for wyues, and sones, and also for britheren, and cosyns, was lesse bisynesse, but the moste and firste drede was holynesse of the tem|ple. [verse 19] But not leste bisynesse hadde hem that weren in [in the IKNRe.] citee, for these that schul|den asaile, `ether fiȝte [or fiȝte EPY. Om. R.] togidere. [verse 20] And whanne now alle men hopiden dom to be, and enemyes come, and the oost was or|deined, beestis and horse men put togi|dere [verse 21] in [in to R.] couenable place, Machabeus bi|helde the comyng of multitude, and dy|uerse [of dyuerse F.] apparel of armeris, and fersnesse of beestis, and he stretchide out [forth R.] the hondis to heuene, and clepide to help the Lord doynge greet wondris, which not bi power of armeris, but as it plesith to hym, ȝyueth victorie to worthi men. [verse 22] Forsothe he seide, clepynge to help in this maner, Thou Lord,

that sentist thin aungel vndur Ezechie, kyng of Juda, and hast slayn of the tentis, `ether oostis [Om. EPRY.] , of Sennacherib, an hundrid thousynde foure score and fyue thousynde; [verse 23] and now, lordschipere of heuenes, sende thou thi good aungel bifore vs, in drede and tremblynge of greetnesse of thin arm, [verse 24] that thei drede, that comen with blas|femye aȝens thin hooli puple. And sotheli thus he perfitli preiede. [verse 25] Forsothe Ny|canor, and thei that weren with hym, moueden to with trumpis and songis. [verse 26] Ju|das forsothe, and thei that weren with hym, clepiden God to help bi preieris, and wenten togidere. [verse 27] Sotheli thei fiȝtynge with hond, but preiynge God in hertis, castiden [and castiden R.] doun fyue and thretti thousynde, not lesse, and delitiden greetli bi presence of God. [verse 28] And whanne thei hadden ceessid, and with ioye turneden aȝen, thei knewen that Ny|canor hadde falle, with his armeris. [verse 29] Ther|for whanne [Om. I.] cry was maad, and perturba|cioun styride [was stired R e pr. m.] , bi cuntre vois thei blessiden the Lord almyȝti. [verse 30] Forsothe Judas, that bi alle thingis in bodi and soule was redi for to die for citeseyns, bad, that the heed of Nycanor, and hond with the [Om. EFGHKMNPQRS pr. m. UXe.] schuldre gird of, schulde be brouȝt forth to Jeru|salem. [verse 31] Whidur whanne he fulli cam, whanne men of his lynage weren clepid togidere, and prestis to the auter, he clep|ide also hem that weren in the hiȝ tour. [verse 32] And whanne the heed of Nycanor was schewid, and the cursid hond, which he holdynge forth aȝens the hooli hous of [verse 33] almyȝti God greetli [Om. N.] gloriede, also he comaundide the tunge of vnpitouse Nyca|nor kit of, for to be ȝouun to briddis gobet mel; forsothe he comaundide the hond of the wood man for to be hangid vp aȝens the temple. [verse 34] Therfor alle bless|iden the Lord of heuene, and seiden, Blessid be the Lord, that kepte his place vndefoulid. [verse 35] Forsothe he [Om. R. pr. m. thei R sec. m.] hangide vp [Om. U.] Nycanoris heed in the hiȝeste tour, that

it were knowun [euident R. euident, or [ether plures] knowen E et ceteri.] , and an [Om. EHKMQRSUe.] opyn signe of the help of God. [verse 36] Therfor alle men by comyn counsel demyden in no maner for to passe this dai with out solempnytee, [verse 37] but for to haue solempnyte in the thret|tenthe dai of the moneth Adar, that is seid, bi vois of Sirie, the firste dai of Mar|docheus. [verse 38] Therfor whanne these thingis weren don aȝens Nicanor, and of tho tymes whanne the citee was weldid of Ebrews, also Y in these thingis schal make an ende of word. [verse 39] And sotheli if wel and as it acordith to the stori, this thing and Y wolc; if ellis lesse worthili, it is to for|ȝyue to me. [verse 40] Sotheli as for to drynke euere more wyn, ether euere more watir, it is contrarie, but for to vse chaungeable, `ether [or EPY. Om. R.] `now oon, now another [Om. R.] , is delit|able [delitable, or [either K] likynge FGHIKMNQSUe. delectable, either likynge R.] ; so to men redynge, if the word be euer more souȝt to ech part, it schal not be plesynge [couenable, or [ether plures] plesinge CEFGHIKMNPQSUYe.] ; therfor here it schal be endid [endid. Amen. S.] .